Mark Kiszla

Kiszla: Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon could dash in a flash

Aaron Gordon of the Arizona Wildcats smiles in the second half while taking on the San Diego State Aztecs during the regional semifinal of the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Honda Center on March 27, 2014 in Anaheim, Calif. (Harry How, Getty Images)

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon has no business playing in the NBA.

But money rules America, while it ruins basketball.

With a berth in the Final Four on the line, Wisconsin beat Arizona 64-63 in overtime Saturday night at the West Regional. Although Gordon brought the biggest reputation as a pro prospect to the game, the biggest man on the floor was skinny Wisconsin 7-footer Frank Kaminsky, who scored 28 points for the Badgers.

"Frank Kaminsky is the reason Wisconsin is in the Final Four," said Arizona coach Sean Miller, whose Pac-12 champions finished the season 33-5. "We had no answer for him."

And another of the teenage phenoms adored by the NBA bit the dust. Gordon, whose 18 rebounds against Wisconsin could not conceal his ineptitude on the offensive end of the floor, joined Andrew Wiggins of Kansas and Duke's Jabari Parker on the sideline in the NCAA Tournament.

After the nets are cut at the Final Four, however, you can bet advisers will suggest Gordon cuts the cord with the basketball education provided by Miller, because a spot in the draft lottery and a guaranteed contract worth in excess of $4 million almost certainly awaits the young forward in the NBA as a top-10 pick.

What would you do? Take the money and run. Of course.

I just hope Gordon uses some of his cash on basketball lessons.

Gordon is 18 years old. He's nowhere near ready to come to the rescue of the Nuggets or any other NBA team in trouble.

The names of NBA stars Blake Griffin and Shawn Marion are tossed around when discussing the upside of Gordon. That's crazy talk. If Gordon is one of the top dozen players in this draft, then this draft is not nearly as deep or talented as advertised.

If it sounds like I'm picking on Gordon, my apologies to his mother and everybody who loves the 6-foot-9 Arizona forward. There is big upside to his game. His defensive skills are evident from the post to the perimeter. He can dribble from coast to coast with unexpected grace. Given time and space for a proper liftoff, Gordon can soar above the rim; his one-handed slam off a lob pass in a victory over San Diego State was one of the most visually stunning moments during the Sweet 16.

But Gordon has zero confidence in his offensive game, for very good reason. His jump shot is as ugly as his 42 percent accuracy from the free-throw line. So Gordon knows how to pick-and-roll, but he certainly can't pick-and-pop. He depends on teammates to create scoring opportunities.

And here's what was most disconcerting while scouting him at the NCAA West Regional: While there's no doubt Gordon is an exceptional athlete, he lacks both the power of Griffin and the pogo that allows Denver forward Kenneth Faried to go straight up to win a rebound or finish a post move or a put-back in tight traffic.

Against Wisconsin, Gordon's offensive game was a clunker under pressure. He did not score from the field, missing eight straight, until his layup tied the game at 52 with two minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the second half.

The NBA does not allow teenagers to matriculate directly from high school to the pros, setting up a situation where the most talented freshmen in college are just passing through campus, killing time while wearing a school uniform for a year.

It's a stupid rule. Stay in college for one season? It makes no sense. I call it the one-and-dumb rule.

There has got to be a better way. To find it, all the NBA has to do is copy a rule long employed by major-league baseball. Upon leaving high school, a player is free to turn pro. But if he chooses to attend college, the player cannot be drafted until his junior year is completed or his 21st birthday is celebrated.

No basketball player with zero interest in chemistry or literature in education should be forced to pretend interest in attending college.

While Miller's message to Gordon about turning pro will be "Don't make a rush decision," from the coach's tone it sounded as though Arizona does not expect him to play another game for the Wildcats. But the education of Gordon as an athlete and man is far from finished.

If the NBA really cared about him or the game, Gordon would not be bribed with millions of dollars to cheat himself as a player and person.

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